Shhh... This is very personal.

1-19-2017 ~ 1-27-2017

Last Friday, I got an upset stomach after eating unrefrigerated food for lunch. I rarely get sick and don't like taking medicine. So instead, I had wine 😋.

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On Saturday, my date took me out for brunch at Brix. We had bottomless mimosa 🍾.

Then, we went to the ChocolateFest. Chocolate is my favorite "candy" (yes.. I said candy). There was about 90 booths and most of them were giving out samples. I've never had that much chocolate in a day. Hehe. 🍫🍫🍫

 

We had more drinks.

Hmmm..This week's blog involves a lot more alcohol. BUT, this is unusual. People who know me, you know that I don't drink much 😅.

Anyways, we learned about the chocolate making process. It starts out with cacao pod. I tried the white stuff inside it that looks like intestines. It was interesting...

After spending 4~5 hours at the festival, we went to eat at a Thai restaurant. Forgot the name of the place... but it was really good!

We spotted a coyote! It's hard to see in a picture, but we were pretty close to it.

I had so much fun and appreciated every moment.

Have you heard of the 5 Love Languages? I'm not a reader, but I did read the book several years ago. I highly recommend it to everyone! Here's a website: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/.

You can learn about your love languages. My top two languages are "quality time" and "acts of service." 

Quality time: "This love is all about giving the other person your undivided attention."

Acts of service: "For these people, actions speak louder than words."

My point is that spending time together means a lot to me. It shows how much you care for me.

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I brought home this drink from the festival. 😁

Wednesday night, I went to Ten Barrel for the first time. Loved the atmosphere 👍.

This weekend, I went to Eugene for my dad's birthday. He wasn't expecting me, so I completely surprised him. Haha that was successful!

Happy birthday Appa! You're the best dad ever~! 🎂

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It felt good being home. Everything about home makes me feel comfortable and is enjoyable... spending time with my family, home cooked meal, and just the home itself. 

It has been almost 4 months since I moved to Portland (time flies!). Everytime I come back to my apartment from somewhere, I realize that I get lonely. I love being around others, and I don't think I can get used to being alone.

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Okay... let's talk about work.

I worked over 50 hours last week. It's a start of the busy season so this should be nothing. But I got exhausted by the end of the week. This week I'm scheduled for 60 hours.

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REAL TALK.

I don't see myself doing this work for too long. Sigh... Don't get me wrong. I love it so far and I take pride in what I do. However, I don't think I can do it for more than 2 years. I don't see a future in this. It's like... I am in a relationship with a guy that I like and enjoy being around him, but I'm starting to not see a future with him. It breaks my heart because being an accountant was what I was aiming for throughout my college years. I thought my future was clear, but now it's not. 

Few things I want to note about being a tax associate at a big 4 (might be obvious):

1. You have to follow the regulations, rules, policies, etc.

2. Your seniors or managers might tell you what he/she wants. They may be very particular about formatting, wordings or work style in general. You should do what they "suggest."

3. You don't have your own client because you're working for your seniors or managers. "Have ownership in the process and not the client" is what my manager said.

4. You sit in front of a computer all day long. You get to interact with people few times a day.

These are the reasons why I will be changing my career within the next year or two. I feel as if I'm trapped in a box. There is no room for creativity and innovation. 

Reflecting on my past experiences, this is what I love doing:

1. Solving problems

2. Bringing ideas and seeing it being implemented

3. Being creative

4. Making a positive impact

At University of Oregon, I worked as an International Student Academic Success Assistant. To help international students with their studies at UO, I proposed the mentorship and tutoring programs. Eventually, our team started the economics tutoring services to the students that year. 

I've never got bored working for this position because I was constantly identifying problems, coming up with ways to solve them and convincing my boss and the team that my idea will work. Also, we were making a positive impact on the students. I had similar experiences serving as a president for UO Students Against Modern-day Slavery and Korean Student Association. 

This is the work that I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm not the "by the book" type of a person. I want to think outside of the box. I need the flexibilty and freedom to exert my ideas. I don't want to be a robot that does what your boss tells you to do. Also, as of now I am not using any of my skills or qualities beyond the technical skills. 

I enjoy working with others. One of the best parts of my job as a tax associate is when I'm having a meeting with my engagement team. I'd rather see people's faces than to stare at a computer all day.

That being said, I will be working for the firm for at least a year. I'm hoping to stay for 2 years if I can endure. However, I am keeping my doors open. Any opportunities out there, please let me know. Check out my LinkedIn or I can send you my resume.

This is very personal to me and I probably won't tell this to my seniors or managers because it can be disappointing. For the same reason, I also don't want to tell my parents. However, I am writing it on my blog because I want to be honest to myself and keep track of my thoughts and emotions. Also, I want to tell myself who I am and to remember what I really enjoy doing. 

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Everyone, have a good week.

Thanks for reading my blog!